Agriculture

Iowa State University is part of a new study funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) to explore possible links between soil health, the nutritional value of plants and human health.

The overall goal of the four-year, $1 million project is to investigate how management practices may alter nitrogen-related nutritional content of grains, such as protein, amino acids and B vitamins, and affect indicators of chemical, physical and biological soil health.  

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
Mar. 11: General CRP Signup
Mar. 15: ARCPLC Program Deadline
Mar. 25: Dairy Margin Coverage Program

Is Wasted Hay the Best Way to Build up Fertility?

by LuAnn Rolling, NRCS District Conservationist

We have all heard that unrolling hay and feeding it is a good way to build fertility in poor areas of pastures. While this may be good advice if hay is used efficiently, due to concentrating manure and urine, according to Jim Elizondo from Real Wealth Ranching, some producers have mistaken this for building a fertility program based on wasteful hay feeding.

Topics include carbon storage and sequestration

Carbon storage and marketing will highlight the discussion at the annual meeting of the Northeast Iowa Agricultural Experiment Association, to be held March 16 at the Borlaug Learning Center at Iowa State’s Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Nashua.

Speakers include Keith Schilling, state geologist and director, Iowa Geological Survey, University of Iowa, and Ann Johanns, education extension specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Schilling will discuss “Challenges and Opportunities of Carbon Storage and Sequestration in Midwest Landscapes,” followed by Johanns’ talk, “Carbon Market Options for Producers.”

Join the Northeast Iowa Dairy and Agriculture Foundation for the 2022 Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 24. The meeting will be held at Iowa’s Dairy Center starting at 9:30 a.m. The morning session will feature a variety of speakers discussing environmental stewardship followed by the annual meeting in the afternoon.

Bill Northey, principal at WHNorthey, LLC., and former USDA Under Secretary of Farm Production and Conservation and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, will discuss the future of conservation and sustainability. Additionally, Adam Kramer, co-founder of Black Sand Granary, will share information on sustaining, enhancing and innovating through stewardship. Finally, Erin Cortus, Associate Professor and Extension Engineer at the University of Minnesota, will share her insights on the science and communication aspects of sustainable dairy production.

The annual meeting will begin at 1 p.m. and will feature the business meeting and election of board members.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
Mar. 11: General CRP Signup
Mar. 15: ARCPLC Program Deadline
Mar. 25: Dairy Margin Coverage Program

Applications will be accepted until June 1, 2022

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig encourages eligible farm owners to apply for the 2022 Century and Heritage Farm Program now. The program was created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation to recognize families who have owned their farms for 100 years and 150 years, respectively.

“The Century and Heritage Farm Program recognizes the strength and resiliency of Iowa’s multi-generation farm families,” said Secretary Naig. “I always look forward to celebrating with the families and hearing stories about their incredible farming legacies. I am grateful for the investments they make to protect our rich farmland and their continued commitment to our state’s agriculture community.”

To apply, download the application on the Department’s website at iowaagriculture.gov/century-and-heritage-farm-program.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host Boots in the Barn, a program for women dairy producers, in March in the New Vienna area. Boots in the Barn is a three-part series for women involved in the dairy industry.

The course will be held March 3, 10 and 17. The March 3 session will feature Gail Carpenter, Iowa State University assistant dairy teaching/research professor, who will provide information on transition cow care, maternity management and research around transition cows. Carpenter will demonstrate on-farm tools that can be used to monitor transition cow health. The session will be held at the McAllister Dairy Farm at 27334 North Bankston Road, New Vienna, 1-3 p.m.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
Feb. 25: Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program
Mar. 11: General CRP Signup
Mar. 15: ARCPLC Program Deadline
Mar. 25: Dairy Margin Coverage Program

Higher Soybean Quality from Conservation Practices

by LuAnn Rolling, District Conservationist

This information was presented at the January 2022, Southwest Iowa Soil Health Meeting. The topic was soybean quality from a public and private perspective and how soil health can influence that work. The presenters were Drew Clemmensen with the Iowa Soybean Association and Dustin Brucker with Benson Hill.

Webinars on dairy goat management and care planned throughout the year

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team will continue its quarterly dairy goat webinar in 2022 with all webinar dates and topics identified. All webinars will be from noon to 1:15 p.m.

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) offers several programs for landowners to enroll environmentally sensitive farmland into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

The continuous and general CRP signups provide annual rental payments to producers and landowners for establishing long-term, resource-conserving plant species on cropland, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat.

Continuous CRP allows landowners to enroll new land at any time during the year, and includes the State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) practice. Under SAFE, landowners can design special habitat for pheasant, bobwhite, grassland songbirds, and other species. SAFE is only available in targeted geographies, producers not eligible for SAFE can offer land into other continuous practices or thru the general signup.